Christmas with you, a tale of two Christmases
by sandra-wfg
Summary: happy finchel Christmases from now and then, fluffy one shot! project for the finchel secret santa project


So: "Joyeux Noël Vanessa" from your secret Santa at thefinchelsecretsantaproject on tumblr :)

Hope you have a great time!

Disclaimer: I don't own Glee!

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><p><span>Christmas 2011<span>

She's awfully quiet on the ride over to the tree lot.

He doesn't think much of it because, except for that weird Kim Kardashian phase last week, she's been kind of quieter ever since she got suspended and didn't get to compete at sectionals.

He kind of figures out that them winning was also a blow to her confidence because except for the cheering and coaching, she really didn't have anything to do with their victory.

He knows her hopes in being accepted to NYADA are lower now, even if she hasn't said anything about it.

He also guesses that since she's a Jew, Christmas isn't really her thing.

So no, he doesn't really pay attention to her gloomy mood.

Only she stops talking altogether when they get there and her hand tenses in his as he starts roaming the alleys of trees, humming the scent he loves so much and chatting excitedly.

It's only when Wham! starts to play and her hand goes limp and actually slips from his grip as she stops on her tracks that he understands this feeling of déjà vu he's been having.

He turns back to her and he can tell she's trying really hard not to cry, but the tears are filling up her eyes and she's looking dumbstruck, staring at him in fright as if he were about to punch her.

"God! Rach, I'm sorry… I didn't think…"

She shakes her head as he engulfs her in his arms.

He drowns in his apologies; he really didn't mean anything by taking her here, except for spending time with his girlfriend. And it's not like there are that many places to buy Christmas trees in Lima, even if he admits he could have driven the extra fifteen minutes to go to the lot near the reservoir.

"I'm sorry," she mumbles in his chest, and he really doesn't understand what she's sorry about. They get a tree in a hurry and he takes her to the nearest coffee shop, trying to ease her discomfort.

He grabs her hand and waits for her to start talking. He knows she feels stupid, even if she's the most intelligent person he knows. He can see how shy she is about what she's about to say, even if she's the strongest girl he's ever met. All he can do is squeeze her hand in his and give her a reassuring smile. They have been good lately, really good, more than that, even. And she knows it as well as he does. There's no breaking them up this time, they're in it for the long run. But maybe she needs to hear it. So he tells her.

She smiles sheepishly and thanks him without words. She admits she's scared about NYADA. She confesses that since they never really talked things through she's had trouble letting go of what happened last year. And after that. And maybe she should have said something earlier but they've been so good that she felt _why reminisce? _she goes on for a bit and surprises him with her last confession "I'm scared about Christmas at your house."

She's been invited to Christmas dinner, and he's actually looking forward to it. It will be her first official Christmas, but that can't be the reason why she's so uncomfortable, can it?

"Your mom doesn't like me." She finishes in a murmur.

He's startled, really, because he didn't see that one coming.

"Why would you say that?" he asks earnestly.

She sighs before answering, "ever since we broke up last year…" she trails. "I know she despises me for what happened."

"She doesn't!" he tries to argue. His mom has never said anything bad about Rachel and he doesn't understand where all of this comes from.

"She does, Finn! I haven't been invited over once since we got back together!"

He laughs then; because that's the cutest thing he's ever heard, Rachel being intimidated by his mom. And he understands it too. Rachel doesn't have a mom, really, so his is like the closest thing she's got, considering Shelby doesn't want to be around her (another shot to her confidence).

"Don't mock me!" she says, deflating, on the verge of tears.

"Never…" he murmurs, leaning over to kiss her sweetly.

"My mom doesn't hate you, I swear!" she nods but he can see she's still not convinced. He doesn't know what to do for the time being, so he uses some other skills to take her mind off of things.

That is until they get kicked out of the coffee shop for inappropriate PDA (totally worth it!).

* * *

><p>On Christmas Eve, Carole Hummel opens the door to find her son's girlfriend on the threshold, clutching a huge gift bag and wearing a nervous smile.<p>

"Come in sweetheart!" she urges her. "It's freezing out there," she says warmly, taking the girl's coat for her and hanging it in the closet.

She ushers Rachel to the living room where Burt greets her with a large smile and Finn with a shy kiss on the cheek.

"Hey, you're wearing it!" she hears Finn say delightedly as he fingers Rachel's necklace at the crook of her neck. It's the one he ordered for her last year. Carole didn't even know he had eventually given it to her.

"Yeah," Rachel says, clasping the small star in her hand, "I figured I had to let go of the past and focus on _now_."

"I love you," she hears him whisper to his girlfriend as he steals a kiss from her before checking no one saw them.

Carole pretends she didn't.

Kurt and Blaine, who has also been invited over, get up to give her a hug and the brunette is shoved in the couch and handed a cup of vegan eggnog (a recipe of seasoned soymilk that Carole found on the internet).

They all talk animatedly and Carole can only watch fondly when she notices the way her son plays with his girlfriend's fingers, nuzzling against her softly until the girl finally seems to relax.

When dinner is served, Rachel helps Carole without her even having to ask as all the boy sit and wait having been asked to not meddle. She's touched by Rachel's sincere gratitude at the display of vegetarian dishes there is, with the yams, sweet potatoes and assorted vegetables. She argues it was really nothing since it's also healthy for Burt and a requirement of Kurt's for both his figure and complexion, she finishes, laughing.

When it's time to exchange gifts everybody gather around the fireplace.

The tree Finn and Rachel picked up is lit and fills the room with a light glow and one of her favourite smells.

She sits by her husband and he encircles her with is arm as they watch their children exchange wrapped boxes.

She's surprised when Rachel hands her a small package, neatly wrapped in red and white. She knows of the girl's traditions and didn't expect any presents from her, but it seems she got something for everyone. She watches Burt unwrap a gorgeous wool sweater as Kurt and Blaine discover matching scarves and gloves in their own packages. Finn argues that they agreed on no presents and Carole's eyes shot open when she witnesses him discover a letterman jacket in his box as Rachel tells him she couldn't leave him presentless. At his enquiring gaze Rachel explains that she tracked his buyer on eBay and bought the jacket back from them. She wells up when she sees her son engulf his small girlfriend in his arms, whispering how much he loves her.

She still has to open her own present and does so when Rachel turns to her, an expectant yet worried smile on her face.

She carefully tears the paper away from a CD.

"I know from Finn you collect Christmas albums," Rachel says. "I know it's not your kind of music, but I figured…"

Carole smiles when she reveals "under the mistletoe", the latest Justin Bieber album. She gets up and wraps Rachel in her arms, hugging her tightly.

"I love it, thank you," she says, unable to wipe the smile from her face, "I didn't even know this even existed, it's a great addition to my collection!" she adds as she kisses a stunned Rachel on the cheek.

"I have a present for you too," she remembers, thrusting the package in Rachel's hands.

"It complements this last one from me," Finn says adding a small parcel to Rachel's hold as he winks at her, like it was obvious they _would_ get each other presents.

Rachel seems overwhelmed as she sits again and starts revealing her presents. Finn's a compilation CD of the songs they sang together. Carole's own gift is a photo album of all their performances, "because I know you kids only swear by numeric pictures but it's always nice to have something concrete to look at!"

Rachel's eyes fill up with tears and her smile has never been so genuine, so Carole figures she doesn't really mind the old fashioned photo album. And she's convinced of it when she sees Rachel mouth "thank you" to her as her fingers stroke the book cover. It's time to set things straight.

"Rachel," she says quietly, "I know you think I don't like you, Finn told me."

Rachel lightly smacks Finn's arm telling him off in an offended manner before checking that neither Burt nor the other two boys heard her. Carole can tell Rachel's not proud of her misconception and is glad the boys are pretending to chat and not listen to them.

"It's not true," she adds, "I really do like you! It hasn't been easy inviting you here, because for a while Kurt didn't want to hear from you, and I'm glad he's come around! But I also can tell you that my son here would rather have you to himself and might have forgotten to relay a couple of invitations, whether purposefully or not…"

"Sorry babe," Finn offers when Rachel gapes at him in awe before he kisses her temple.

"The truth is, Rachel," Carole smiles warmly, "whatever happened between you two last year… you won me over when you enrolled the girls in the football team so the boys could still play."

She can see Rachel's eyes well up again, and hers are not that dry themselves. "And I see how happy you make him, so really it's enough for me to love you as much as he does."

She loves the smile that breaks over Rachel's face, matching Finn's and her own.

* * *

><p><span>Christmas 2016<span>

"I'm telling you Finn, Justin is a really great partner and I couldn't have asked for a better one for this show!" Rachel lectures her boyfriend as they finish ascending the stairs to the New York apartment they've been sharing for the last three years.

She fumbles with her overload of Christmas presents, trying to fish the keys from her handbag.

"Still, I'm saying, it's Justin Bieber! That guy sucks." Finn mumbles.

"You know you're being unfair!" she says, sliding the key in the lock, "he's really talented, has a huge career and almost wrote this musical by himself. Not to mention he requested for _me_ to be the female lead! He has nothing to do with the boy you loathed when we were in high school!"

"I know babe, but _Justin Bieber_?" he whines, "remember the Bieber experience?" he scoffs.

"You're just trying to pick a fight," she sighs as she pushes the door open, stopping dead on her tracks.

The apartment is filled with lit candles and there's mistletoe everywhere she looks. She turns around to watch him and the smug look on his face tells her it was all planned from the beginning.

"Finn?" she asks tentatively.

"Okay, so Rach, hear me out," he says, dragging her inside the apartment and closing the door behind them, discarding their packages on the rug. "Before you start on how unsafe it is to leave lit candles unattended, just know that Kurt was there lighting them up, up until we got to the second floor, where I texted him to get the hell outta here. He's probably just gone up one story to let us in."

She watches him in awe as he goes on, getting down on one knee and pulling a box from his pocket. "Secondly, I know we said we'd wait until you got a Tony, but really, when have we ever waited for you to get a Tony?" he smiles, scrunching his face and she laughs in understanding.

She sees him open the box to reveal the most exquisite ring she's ever seen. "Beside, you're right," he continues, "Justin is a genius and I'm sure this part will owe you the award. And I don't wanna wait! So will you…" she cuts him with her mouth on his as she launches in his arms, joining him on the floor.

"You got me at _the opening of the door_," she laughs against his lips, her eyes filling with tears of happiness.

"Will you marry me?" he finishes nonetheless, making the proposal official.

"Yes, Finn, yes, yes, yes,yes yes!" she hugs him tightly, kissing him everywhere she can reach then wipes her eyes and lets him put the ring on her finger where they both admire it for a while before he unexpectedly lifts her up in his arms, almost losing his balance, threatening to put them both back on the floor in the most unglamorous way.

As he makes his way to the bedroom she can't help but say "can I just state how unsanitary mistletoe really is? I mean, with how sticky the berries are when they drop and we step on them and…"

"Not a chance, babe!" he laughs.

He has other ways to silence her, anyway.

The end.

….

_I don't need no presents  
>Underneath my tree<br>Santa Claus, don't bring me nothin' new  
>And I don't need my stockin' stuffed<br>To have you here is more than enough  
>Cause all I want is Christmas with you<br>You're the one thing  
>That could make my dreams come true<br>I could have it all  
>But all I want is you<em>

**Christmas with you, Firehouse**


End file.
